When our class ended and we were about to head to Hae-wool's house, we ran into Hanjoon on the way.
"Where are you two going?" he asked casually.
Before I could think of an excuse, Hae-wool answered, "Home."
Hanjoon smiled. "I'll come too."
I froze. We couldn't exactly say no… so we had to take him with us.
When we entered Hae-wool's house, his halmoni greeted me warmly, pulling me into a soft hug.
"Ah, my Nabora is here!" she said with the brightest smile.
There was no denying it — she adored me. And honestly? I adored her too.
When Hae-wool went to the kitchen to bring snacks for us, I quickly turned to Hanjoon.
"Why don't you go help him?" I suggested sweetly. "He'll probably mess something up on his own."
Hanjoon looked at me suspiciously for a second, but then shrugged. "Fine."
The moment he disappeared into the kitchen, my heart started pounding.
Now it was just me and Halmoni.
Finally… I could ask her.
With slightly trembling hands, I took out the photo and showed it to Halmoni.
"I wanted to ask… do you know who this lady is—"
Before I could even finish my sentence, her eyes widened.
"Mirae!" she gasped. "My Mirae!"
Her voice cracked.
Suddenly, her breathing became uneven. Her hands started shaking, and the color drained from her face.
"Halmoni?" I whispered, panic rising inside me.
She clutched her chest, struggling to breathe properly.
Oh no.
I didn't expect this.
Soon, Hae-wool and Hanjoon rushed into the living room and froze when they saw Halmoni struggling to breathe.
"Halmoni!" Hae-wool shouted.
We didn't waste a second. We quickly took her to the hospital.
While we were waiting outside the emergency room, Hae-wool grabbed my arm.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice tense.
I swallowed and told him everything. About the album. About the picture. About showing it to Halmoni.
I took the photo out again.
Before I could say anything more, Hanjoon suddenly snatched it from my hand.
"Where did you get this?" he demanded, his voice sharp in a way I had never heard before. "And who is that child?"
"I—I got it from our family album," I replied nervously. "And that little boy… that's Hae-wool."
There was silence.
Then I looked at Hanjoon. "Do you know this woman?"
His jaw tightened.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"She's my mother."